Catharsis is getting rid of unhappy memories or strong emotions such as anger or sadness by expressing them in some way. He wrote out his rage and bewilderment, which gradually became a form of catharsis leading to understanding. the act or process of removing strong or violent emotions by expressing them through writing, talking, acting etc (from kathairein , from katharos ). Purging or purification of emotions through art. The term is derived from the Greek katharsis ("purgation," "cleansing"), a medical term used by Aristotle as a metaphor to describe the effects of dramatic tragedy on the spectator: by arousing vicarious pity and terror, tragedy directs the spectator's own anxieties outward and, through sympathetic identification with the tragic protagonist, purges them
Greek word, usually translated as "purgation," which Aristotle used in his definition of tragedy, referring to the vicarious cleansing of emotions in the audience through their representation onstage
the healthful release of ideas through "talking out" conscious material accompanied by an appropriate emotional reaction
a purging or cleansing of the emotions; used by Aristotle to describe the purifying of the audience through emotional involvement in a play
Literally, "purgation " Technical term used by Aristotle to describe the emotional effect of a tragic drama upon the spectator
(kah-thar´sis): The release of emotionalenergy related to unconscious conflicts (pp 398,574)
Purging of the emotions (of pity and fear in particular) which, according to Aristotle, is a beneficial psychological effect had by art (of tragic drama in particular)
A release of emotional tension after an overwhelming vicarious experience, resulting in the purging or purification of the emotions, as through watching a dramatic production (especially a tragedy). Coined in this sense by Aristotle
The process of relieving an abnormal excitement by reëstablishing the association of the emotion with the memory or idea of the event that first caused it, and of eliminating it by complete expression (called the abreaction)
purging the body by the use of a cathartic to stimulate evacuation of the bowels
{i} purging, purification (Medicine); emotional cleansing through drama; (Psychiatry) relief of tension and anxiety through the expression of repressed thoughts and feelings (also katharsis)